Time-lock



.- G. ALBERT & O. SEYBOLD.

Time Look.

No. 235,330. Patented Dec. 14, I880.

-FEIEHS, PHOTO-UTHDGRAPHER, WASHINGYON, D C.

NITED STATES PATENT @Fmo.

CHARLES ALBERT AND CHARLES SEYBOLD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 235,330, dated December14, 1880.

(ModeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OHARLEs ALBERT and OHARLEs SEYBoLD, of the city ofCincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Time-Locks for Safes, of which the followingis a specification;

The object. of this invention is to provide suitable mechanism to beactuated by a timepiece, for the purpose of automatically disconnectingthe driving tumbler of a permutationlock from the tumblers, or toautomatically interpose and remove an obstruction to the retraction ofthe lock-bolt or the train-bolts of a safe at suitable times, whichperiods of time may be predetermined bysetting the time-piece.

The invention will be first fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and its novel features particularlypointed'out inthe claims;

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a time-piece andso much of a combination-lock as is necessary. to illustrate ourimprovements, with the intermediate mechanism for disconnecting thedrive-wheel in position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, withthedialplate andauxiliary tripping-lever removed and the disconnecting device thrown up.1 Fig. 3 is a section taken through the axis of "the permutation-lockarbor, showing the means for disconnecting the pin of the drive-wheelfrom the tumblers. Fig. 4 is a view taken in front of the plate to whichthe tripping devices are secured. "A portion of the plate is removed toexpose the levers. The view here shown is of the oppositeside of thedevices shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section,enlarged, taken through the ratchet, indicator, and spring-shafts. Fig;6'is an edge View of the tripping-levers shown in Figs. 2 and 4, andFig. 7 is an enlarged view of part of the auxiliary releasingdevices.

The time-piece is of the ordinary kind used for the same purpose,inclosed within the usual case, which, in the present instance, issecured upon the top of the lock-case. Upon the outer plate of theclock-case are secured the devices for disconnectingthe tumblers of thelock.

As the mechanism producing the desired results is mainly intended to actupon the engaging-pin of the driving-tumbler of the look through asuitably-shaped cam, this will be first described, then the mechanismwhich moves the cam into and out of position to en gage with thedriving-tumbler.

A is the driving-tumbler and B one of the well-knownpermutation-tumblers of a combination-lock. The engaging-pin a of thedriving-tumbler is constructed similar to the ordinary spring bolt orcatch used for many purposes. The case to, within which it slides, issecured to the back of the tumbler A. A pin, a ,projeots from the boltthrough a slot in the case a, beyond the periphery of the drive- Wheel.A spiral spring coiled around the pin (it within the case forces the pinout in a position to engage the pin upon the next tumbler. A slidingbar, 0, projects'down from the clockcase and is armed with a cam, c,which, when brought down upon the periphery of the drivetumbler, engagesthe pin a as the tumbler is revolved, and pushes the engaging-pin withinits case so that it will miss the pin upon the face of next tumbler, B.When the earn 0 is thrown up in the position shown in Fig.2 the pin awill miss the cam c, and all the tumblers 0f the permutation-lock may beset to open it. Astud-pin, 0, projects down from the top plate ofthelock-case behind the cam-bar O, to steady the cam in place.

The spring of the time-movement drives a shaft, D, and this, throughpinion E, drives wheel F, which is secured upon a hollow shaft that hasits hearings in the dial-plate, and a bracket, G, which is secured tothe outer plate or case of the time-piece.

Secured to the inner side of wheel F is a similar toothed wheel, f, alittle greater in diameter than wheel F. The teeth of this wheel fproject just above the periphery of wheel F. A shaft, H, passes throughthe hollow shaft F, and has secured upon it, just back of wheel f, acrank-arm, h, in the outer end of which is a pin, h, that passes betweenthe teeth of wheel f. The arm is held firmly against the wheel f by acoiled spring, h which is coiled around the shaft between the arm and asocket which furnishes the inner bearin g of the shaft. Upon the outerend of the shaft His a button and an index-pointer, I.

The sliding bar 0, which carries at its lower bent end thedisengaging-cam c, is made to slide vertically in bearings secured uponthe lock-case, its upper end being, a turned shaft, which passes throughan eye-plate, A spring, is compressed between this plate and a pin inthe upper end of the shaft, the expansion of which draws the bar C up tohold cam 0 out of reach of the pin a.

Pivoted upon the stud-pin j, which is sccured in the lock-case andpasses through a slot in the sliding bar (3, is lever arm J, which hasan arm, J projecting from it to engage a pin in wheel F. The motion ofthe arm J is limited by a pin which projects from the eye plate 0 into aslot in the upper end of J.

The bar 0 has a pin, in its face, and projecting from the adjacent sideof lever J is a similar pin, j which occupies a position alon gr side ofpin a when the barC is in its elevated position. When the bar 0 ispressed down in a position to disengage the tumblers the lever J will becarried inward by the weight of its arm J, and the pi 1 j carried overthe pin 0 and retain the can bar 0 in its lowered position.

K is a lever, which has its fulcrum in a studpin secured in thelock-plate. It hasits outer end hooked and resting upon a pin secured inthe inner side of Lair 0, and its opposite end in a position to rot eivemotion from the end of crank h as it is carried around by wheels Ff. Theinner end of the lever will thus be elevated. and the camarm 0 carrieddown and held in its lowered position until'the pin in the face of wheelF e1 gages the cam end of arm J,pushes it back, and disengages the pinsj0 The cam-arm will then be elevated by spring 0, and the cam c removedout of reach of the pin in the drive-wheel A. The combination of thelock may then be set up and the safe opened. It thus appears that thearm h, acting upon lever K, automatically interposes an obstruction tothe opening of the safe, and that the pin in the face of wheel Fautomatically removes such obstruction at certain times during therevolution of wheel F, and that if wheel F be made to revolve once intwentyfour hours access to the safe ispossible through thecombination-lock during any desired number of these hours, andimpossible during the remainder of the day for as many days as the timeris made to run.

For convenience in setting the time-lock, the pin in wheel F andcrank-arm h are arranged to act upon their respective levers when thehand F, which is secured upon the outer end of shaft F, and the hand Iupon the outer end of shaftH point to the number 24 on the dialplate.The hand F is set the required number of hours from this point bywinding the timepiece, and the hand 1 is set by taking hold of thebutton upon the end of shaft H, pushing the shaft in to disenagage thepin h from the teeth of wheel f, and turning the hand back the number ofhours it is desired to leave the safe under control of thepermutation-lock. Suppose, for instance, that the timer is to be set atthree oclock in the afternoon, and it is intended to leave the safeunder control of the combination-lock until seven oclock in the evening,and then be inaccessible until nine oclock the following.' morning. Theclock is wound up and the hand 1? left at figure 6. The shaft H ispushed back and pointer I turned to number 20. Now, it is evident thatduring whatever number of days the timer is made to. run the came willbe placed and retained in position to disengage the tumblers from sevenoclock each evening until nine oclock the next morning.

It is also evident that instead of the sliding bar 0 being provided witha cam, as 0, to disengage the tumblers of a combination'lock, its lowerangle may be shaped to pass between a fixed dog upon the inside of thedoor and the inner end of the protruded lock or train bolts, to preventtheir retraction during the same periods of time.

The auxiliary mechanism for throwing up cam-bar 0, should the time-piecefrom any cause stop before the appointed hour for open ing the safe,will now be d ibed.

Pivoted to the front of lever J is a lever-bar, L. Its lower end extendsinto the lockcase and has a forked latch, M, swinging from its lowerend, to be engaged at the proper time by case a, which is also thecraukpin used to throw the lock-bolt.

N is a lever, pivoted upon a stud-pin projcctingfromthe lock-plate.Theupper end y y y of lever L is bent to bear against acrankwire, at,which projects up from lever N. A pin, I, is secured near the upperangle of lever L, to serve, in connection with the outer end of lever N,as a fulcrum for lever L when the time-movement is at rest.

P is a ratchet-wheel, driven by the timemovement. One end of lever-pawlO is held in contact with the teeth of the wheel by a weighted arm, a,secured to its hub. The opposite arm of pawl 0 is a hooked latch, 0',the hook or notch of which is to receive a pin, n, secured in the innerend of lever N, and lock the lever N in the position shown in Fig. 1when the time-movement is stopped and the end of pawl 0 is within theteat of wheel P. The outer end of N is weighted, so that ordinan'ly itspin n is held up out of reach of the latch 0 when the timer is running.The wheel P revolves rapidly in the direction indicated by the arrows.This will keep the pawl and latch in the position shown in Fig. 7, sothat any attempt to move lever L by the crankpin upon the drive-wheelwill elevate the outer end of lever N above the pin I, thus leaving thelever-bar L without a fulcrum.

When the clock-movement is stopped the pawl 0 will drop between theteeth of wheel P, and lever N be locked in the position shown in Fig. 1by latch 0, and the obstruction to opening the lock may be removed asfollows: The drive-tumbler A is revolved by the lockarbor in thedirection indicated by the arrow until its crank-pin a comes in theexact position to enter between the forks of latch M. (This manipulationshould be carefully performed, as the forks are just far enough apart toadmit the pin.) This position isindicated by a letter or number on thelock-dial. It is then revolved in the opposite direction to anotherletter or number on the outside dial, which brings the crank-pin intothe notch in the upper fork of latch M. Then, by again turning in thedirection of the arrow,-Fig. 1, the lower end of lever L is carried out.Its upper bent end, engaging crank-wire a, will turn lever N until itspin a is caught by the notch in latch 0. The pawl 0, now finding asupport in the teeth of wheel P, the movement of the upper end of thelever, inward will be stopped, and the rotation of wheelAis con tinuedthe lower end of the lever will be swung back, carrying withit the leverJ and disengaging the pin, j from pin 0 when the lever G will be thrownup by spring 0 and the obstruction to the opening of the lock removed.As the letters or numbers upon which the lever I1 is operated need notbe known to the same partieswho have the combination for opening thelock, an additional security-is afforded, for in case of violence beingused that might disarrange or stop the time-movement, an entrance to thesafe could not be effected without a knowledge of both combinations,which knowledge would not be in the possession of the same person.

While the auxiliary tripping mechanism last described is mainly intendedas a security against being locked out by the premature stoppage of thetithemovement, from any cause, before the appointed hour, it will, ifthe wheel F and its connections be removed, serve, with the remainingparts,as an operative time-lock. In this case it would be necessary topass a pin from lever 0 through a slot in the end of the case, (thewhole mechanism except the dial and hands are to be inclosed in' use,)by which it may be depressed. The time-piece should then be wound to runfor the desired number of hours. Under this arrangement entrance to thesafe would not be possible from the time of closing until the appointedhour for the clock to stop.

We claim- 1. In a timelock, the combination, as set forth, of the Wheelf, driven by the time-movement and carrying with it arm h, with thelever K, and sliding bar 0, to automatically interpose an obstruction tothe opening of the safe at a predetermined time, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a time-lock, the combination of the sliding bar 0, having aspring, as 0 to retain it in its upper position, and the mechanism,substantially as specified, actuated by the time-movement to force it toits lower position, with pins 7' and c to hold said sliding bar in itslower position until tripped by the time mechanism.

3. The combination, substantially as specified, of the sliding bar 0,having pin 0 and spring a, the lever J, having cam-arm j and pin 7' withthe wheel F, armed with a fixed pin or projection to trip the levers ata predetermined time to remove an obstruction to the opening of thesafe.

4. The combination of sliding bar 0 and lever K with toothed wheel f,carried by hollow shaft F, shaft H, adapted to slide within said hollowshaft, arm h secured upon said shaft H, and having a pin, h, to passbetween the teeth of wheel f, and a spring, k to hold the arm and wheelconnected after the arm has been set to the desired position,substantially as specified.

5. In a time-lock, the combination of drivewheel A, having a pin, as a,the lever L, swinging forked latch M, sliding bar 0, with its pin 0 andspring 0, lever J, with its pin j lever N, with its pins an, pawl andlatch O 0, and ratchet-wheel P, the parts combined to operatesubstantially as specified.

6. In a lock composed of a time-piece, a combination lock, andintermediate mechanism actuated by the time-piece for the purpose ofinterposing and removing an obstruction to the opening of the safe, thecombination, substantially as described, of drive-wheel A, havin g aspring coupling-pin, a a), with the sliding bar 0 and cam c, saidsliding bar being actuated by the time-piece to place cam c in aposition to force the spring-pin out of connection with the pin upon theadjacent loose tumbler, and to remove said cam out of the path of thecoupling-pin at predetermined times, as hereinbefore specified.

CHARLES ALBERT. CHARLES SEYBOLD. Witnesses:

Gno. J. MURRAY, LOUISE MURRAY.

